Houston Texans Newswire: Shiloh Keo, Punt Returner?

Houston Texans News

Endgadget gets it.

The Newswire's been away for a day or two, so we're catching up on the odds and ends. We all know about the HD display upgrades that were completed this week; if you don't, read this. Looking through the news today, I found this headline from Endgadget -"Houston Texans' new HD scoreboard is even wider than the Cowboys". They could have put "Houston Texans' new HD scoreboard is now widest in the NFL", but why not twist the knife into Dallas a little deeper?

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Watt wants to play both ways.

Arguably the best defensive player in the NFL at the moment isn't satisfied with sacking quarterbacks. It appears he wants to catch passes from them too. J.J. Watt is talking about playing offense:

"Whatever I can do to help the team win, I will do."

Hopefully it won't end in another bloody finger like the Pro Bowl. At the very least, he needs his own "both" commercial.

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Sickness won't hold Jones back.

Ben Jones is taking his turn stepping in for Wade Smith at left guard. If it wasn't enough to be thrown into the fire as a second-year pro, Jones has been fighting the flu as well. Jones is attempting to fight off David Quessenberry, who is also under consideration for snaps at LG in Smiths' absence.

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You're probably going to want to be sitting down.

Everyone's favorite team-captain, Shiloh Keo, will be returning punts in Saturday's game against the Dolphins. Keshawn Martin in all likelihood will still be the starting returner once again. It should be an adventure on Saturday.

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Around the League

Veteran guinea pigs.

The NFL is taking one step closer to HGH testing, this time employing former NFL players as guinea pigs. The NFL would like to have a study done to help create a baseline for HGH levels. Two-thirds of a pool of 100 former players will be given HGH; the other third will be given a placebo. This seems like a drastic step to create a test. I can think of the many examples of players going over the edge with HGH like Ken Caminiti did. Why would you subject players who have enough trouble in life after football to HGH?

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Not-So-Super Mario.

Forbes has got an itchy trigger finger to create lists these days. This time, it's the ‘NFL's Most Overpaid Players 2013'. They are using Pro-Football-Reference.com's Approximate Value statistic compared to the player's yearly salary. Number eight on the list is Mario Williams. I don't believe Super Mario will ever play up to his contract in Buffalo, but sometimes you have to overpay to steal a player away.

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Portis leads the way.

Clinton Portis is once again leading the way; this time he is lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NFL. Portis and 81 other players, including Daunte Culpepper and Cadillac Williams, are suing the league over concussions.

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Jay Cutler wants what?

Nothing brought me a bigger laugh this season than the Jay Flacco contract. Jay Cutler is going the same route this season: Roll out the ball and play for your contract. An executive told ESPN's Mike Sando, that he expects Cutler to get $20 million-a-year. If we use the 2013 number, that would put him in company with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Drew Brees. That would also put him ahead of Peyton Manning. I would include Tom Brady, but Cutler is already paid more than the three-time Super Bowl champion! This madness, I tell you. The madness.

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Houston feels your pain, Time Warner Cable subscribers.

Time Warner customers are currently without CBS; that may end soon with the entire AFC broadcast weekly on CBS. Imagine if the Texans were the team blacked out on CSN Houston? How quick would that deal get done?